


All Is As All Should Be

by friendlyfox, monogramsalarm



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, barry and taako are sad boys (but then glad boys), this will mainly be barry and taako adventures for a bit, with a healthy bit of namedropping as we world build a bit folks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-03
Updated: 2018-05-30
Packaged: 2019-03-26 13:52:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13859100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/friendlyfox/pseuds/friendlyfox, https://archiveofourown.org/users/monogramsalarm/pseuds/monogramsalarm
Summary: Lucretia made sure everyone forgot, and she thought she got every loose end. She never counted on Taako being, well, an idiot wizard. Taako soon realizes he needs a plan, a new life, to lie low until he figures out Lucretia's plans. Making a few friends along the way wouldn't hurt either.AU where Taako remembers, Sizzle it Up never happens, and the BoB has no idea what will hit em





	1. Wake up

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of a collab with monogramsalarm that is a work in progress! No idea how far we will go but hope for updates once every week or so? Hope ya'll enjoy :D

“Taako, you- ya gotta kill me,” The man in front of Taako blurts out and he knows he has a name right? Everyone has a name. For some reason he casts a spell without hesitation and he suddenly remembers he can’t remember. There’s someone really important he’s forgetting. Her name is L̷̢̛̩̻̝̮̫͕̙̳͓͗̃̽̍͒̉͘̕͝ͅư̴̻͙͉̹̇̕p̴̢̗̞̫͕̫͆͊͒̈͊͋͛̈̒̄̈́̕͜͝ͅͅ and she’s his, she’s someone. Her room is down the hall. By the time Taako pushes the door open he can’t remember why he entered, where was he?

Seeing her name, he pushed farther into the room. Fuck. He couldn’t remember why, but he needed to find something of hers, something to hold onto. He grabbed a bright red jacket, clutching it to his chest desperately. He was forgetting, he knew he was, but he couldn’t just let go that easily. So much of Taako’s memory was being taken that the room began to spin as his mind threatened to tear him apart. Trying to find something else to remember, he opened the closet door. He paused, looking around as the room still swirled around him. Who was he looking for? Why was he… Here? The edges of his vision started to darken as he stumbled, knocking a shelf down and bringing clothes to a crash on top of him. He didn’t know what else to do, so he closed his eyes and embraced the blackness that threatened to consume him.

Taako woke up to something soft on his face, which he assumed was a blanket. Some quick feeling around proved that it was not, but rather a very fashionable floor length fleece cape. He briefly wondered what rich dude’s closet he stumbled into when it hit him. The worst hangover of all time. Well, he guessed it was a hangover, either that or he lost a fight with a bus. He pushed himself to his feet, vision blurry and head dizzy. “What the fuck did I do last night?” Taako mumbled opening a door revealing a room he couldn’t make out. “I gotta get more of whatever this is.” He managed to crawl/drag his way to the door, which didn’t help his headache even more. It made it worse. The walls around him where there but also shouldn’t be there? There was some blood on the ground but he didn’t know whose it was. “Hope that wasn’t me,” he said as he balanced himself on a wall.

“Hello?” Taako looked into another empty room, then noticed the giant bowl or tank or something in there. He rubbed his head, trying to figure it out. “Is that what happened last night?” He groaned, the faint light it gave off making his head throb more. He stumbled towards it, realizing this was someone else’s room. He looked around for any clues for whose it could have been. There wasn’t anything he recognized about the room, it was just simple and very neatly organized. A small glass next to a stack of notebooks on the desk caught his eye and he reached toward it. “Fuck, I hope this isn’t poisoned,” Taako muttered as he dipped the cup into the tank. Wiping the excess off of the side, he shrugged and downed it one drink. Something like a switch clicked on in his mind and he froze, dropping the glass on the floor as everything came flooding back.

He nearly fell over from the force and steadied himself, finally being able to see Fisher floating in the tank in front of him. He remembered the mission, the Starblaster, where he was and what was happening. Most of all, he remembered Lup. Something had erased his goddamn sister from existence, but now he could remember clear as day. Whatever happened, he needed to make sure he wasn’t alone. And that nothing was going to make it happen to him again.

He quickly re-assessed his surroundings, and realized he was in Lucretia’s room. He was never the detective type, but hey time to change hats or whatever they say. Taako looks to the desk, and instead of it being Lucy’s nice and neat organization, it was just a bit, off. There was a journal missing. He knew this because he once came in to steal a journal and Lucretia knew because she, as she put it “Had the most recent 5 journals on my desk at all times, Taako, give me back the book.” Despite the double headache he somehow managed to have (amnesia and un-amnesia is a bitch) he wasn’t an idiot. One journal went to the voidfish, to Fisher. “Fuckin fuck shit, what the fuck, what the actual hell Lucretia?” He rushed out of her room in a rage before halting completely. “She doesn’t know I know,” He whispered to himself. It echoed in the Starblaster’s empty corridor. It was unnerving. A plan, he needed a plan.

Running to his room, a million ideas ran through his head. He needed to get out of there first. Nobody would have remembered, and he couldn’t just go to Lucretia. He had no clue why she did it, but he couldn’t cross her path in case she tried something else. It was as if something so unlike her had just possessed her to do this. He grabbed his largest pack, shoving various clothing items inside, as well as a few things he couldn’t forget. He remembered to put Lup’s jacket inside, needing to have a piece of her with him. There wasn’t much he could do, but he could at least escape. Dashing back and forth between his room and the other various places in the ship, he grabbed necessary items and hoped Lucretia didn’t see him. Putting the last few apples into his bag, he closed it and slung it over his back, trying to take deep breaths. First thing’s first… He needed to find Barry. He killed Barry, but he was still there in his lich form. Barry would remember, but it was a matter of tracking him down and coming up with a plan together. He closed his eyes, clenching his first around his wand and taking another deep breath before turning and leaving the ship, taking extra precautions to not be spotted.


	2. Had to be denim huh?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Then the door swung upon, followed by a man in a sturdy pair of blue jeans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh thanks for such a cool response so far, you guys are great :D! We have 5 finished chapters so far and I'm impatient so here is chapter 2 a little early! Don't forget to check out monogramsalarm as well! Hope you're havin a good one my dudes, see ya next week!

The Starblaster was in the middle of a field, a small town in the distance. Lucretia must be there, doing what Taako didn’t care. He couldn’t care. He cared about Magnus, and Davenport and Merle. Where were they? Barry he, needed to find him. He hadn’t been planetside much, but he remembered a rough mental map from drifting over the course of the last year. He needed to think what did Barry need. He made a list:  
-to find Lup  
-money  
-a place to hide from Lucretia  
-a place to gain information (libraries, schools?)  
-a disguise

After he made a quick mental checklist, he figured Barry could be in two places; Either the largest city, where he could drift unnoticed, or a small town, where he could get supplies, stay out of the way, but still be in contact with locals or adventurers with information.

Taako didn’t know how long he’d been walking, but he knew he needed to rest. He’d lost count of the days, weeks, maybe even months that he’d been searching; stopping at every town along the way. After failing to find Barry in the capital city of Neverwinter and every small town along the way, he’d almost given up hope. Keeping Lup’s jacket with him absolutely helped serve as a reminder of why he was doing it, but he knew it wouldn’t be long before he’d given up. Settling into the corner of a bar in a small town called Phandalin, Taako looked over the crumpled, worn piece of paper where he’d written his small list. He hadn’t done anything he set out to do… Lup was nowhere to be found, Barry hadn’t been in any of the cities and towns that he’d visited yet, and he was barely scraping by. He rested his head in his hands, trying to figure out what to do next. There was another town only a few days away, so that could be his next switch. If he hadn’t found anything by then, he could take a few jobs, get some money to be able to continue on, and then resume his search.

He downed the rest of his drink, and got up to leave, the mood was too jovial, he was too deep in thought. Then the door swung upon, followed by a man in a sturdy pair of blue jeans. Taako froze in place, the taste of gogurt still in his mouth and whispered, “Holy shit.” Barry didn’t notice him, only waved a hello to the bartender and ordered a ginger ale. He sat down at the bar and pulled out a notebook. Taako was still standing by his corner booth, he hadn’t been seen, so he had a quick second to panic to himself. “I didn’t plan this far,” He mumbled, as he ran his hands anxiously though his hair. The bottle, he still had the bottle. He quickly checked his pocket, and thanked whoever the god of luck was that he brought it for some reason. Well, time to ruin Barry’s ginger ale.

Taako made his way over to the bar, taking a seat next to Barry. He nodded silently, trying not to draw much attention to himself. “Nice lookin’ pants, compadre,” Taako thought of something, anything else to move the conversation along.

“Uh… Thanks?” Barry looked down at his jeans, then back to Taako, immensely confused. Taako silently cursed, looking around for some kind of distraction to get to Barry’s attention away from the drink. A young girl carrying a case of apple cider walked past, giving Taako an idea. He jumped up, tapping her on the shoulder.

“You a delivery girl?” He looked her up and down, seeing the Redcheek Cider label on the crate. “You look too young to be here drinking.” She nodded, looking around to see if there was any danger in talking to this stranger. “Hey, don’t worry. I’m a pal. I just need a quick favor from you, miss…” He trailed off, prompting her to give him her name.

“Oh, Noelle. What did you need, stranger?” She set the crate down on the edge of the bar. Taako leaned against the bar, slipping his last few coins into her hand.

“Cause a scene. Yell about some rats or anything, just distract everyone.” He grinned, going back over to his seat beside Barry at the bar.  
Taako turned back to Barry, “Anyway, I’m Taako, you know from TV, I need no introduction really. Who are you?” He caught a glimpse of Noelle taking a deep breathe just as Barry began to answer and suddenly she screamed, “Get it off me!” Taako, ever the partner in crime, cast a minor illusion to make a huge rat appear on her shoulder. She glanced to Taako who held up another coin and smiled, and Noelle started sobbing. Damn she was good. 

Barry stood up from the bar, “Someone should help her.” He pulled his wand out and bingo, left his drink unattended. At this point everyone in the bar looked at Noelle with a bit of fear as she scrambled around trying to get the “rat” off of her. Now was his chance. He quickly pulled out the small bottle of ichor he brought and poured about a shot glass size in. About a third of the bottle but that should be enough. He glanced back up to the scene where Barry cast a spell and Taako dismissed the illusion, which made Barry the rat slayer. The bar which was silent in horror erupted into cheers, and Noelle rushed over and gave Barry a hug. “Thanks mister for saving me!” Over his shoulder she mouthed to Taako, “5 more gold.” Taako passed it to her while patting Barry on the other shoulder. Might have to keep in contact with this young lady, she’s fuckin good. 

The bystanders returned to their drinks, a few called out a “Good Job!” to Barry as he sat back down at the bar. “Hey my man, that was a solid magic act right there, trust me I know my stuff.” Taako said, all smiles. Barry grinned in return, “I don’t know that much, enough to get me by.” He takes a gulp of his ginger ale and sets it down, apparently not noticing the taste. Taako never trusted ginger ale anyway. “So Barry, how did you get around to this part of the woods hm?” Barry meet his eyes, “I never got to tell you my name.” His breathing got heavier, and he braced himself against the counter. “Oh no you didn’t,” Taako pulled out his wand, readying a spell, “Lup did.”

Barry’s eyes widened and he saw her face as Taako cast sleep.


	3. Shake Me Awake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Taako face the facts (and have some hope)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey folks, one more shortish chapter before we get into the Longer Shit. Also I would blame Maddie for the angst but it was a team effort. Sad boys before glad boys. See ya next week folks!

Barry’s eyes fluttered open as his head throbbed, a headache threatening to overtake him completely. He groaned, looking around at their surroundings. A small fire crackled to his left, a forest surrounding him completely. The smell of eggs and bacon cooking brought him back to reality as every memory he’d forgotten hit him like a freight train.

 

“Rise and shine, Barold.” That too-familiar voice called out across the fire, making him sit upright. His head throbbed once more as he winced, finally seeing Taako kneeling beside the campfire, holding a frying pan.

 

“T-Taako?” Barry struggled to sit up, trying to remember what had happened the night before. “Where… Are we?” He saw another bedroll laid out right next to his with a bright red jacket on top of it. He reached for it, his hands shaking. “Is this…”

 

“Lup’s jacket. I couldn’t really leave it behind, y’know?” Taako sat beside Barry, holding out a plate. “It’s been fucking weird, Barry. How are you not all spooky and red?” He began to eat off his own plate. Barry took a bite, not realizing how hungry he was until then.   
  
“Things have been, weird over the last year Taako,” Barry said, as he set his plate down. Taako stopped eating too, he hadn’t realized it had been a year. A year since Lup went missing. A year since Lucretia- since she did what she did. “When you killed me I ended up surface side and uh, things weren’t pretty, and then,” he sighed “and then they were.” He rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous habit he never managed to break. “She erased the memories of the wars over the Relics, and the people here just, they just went back to normal.” His voice sputtered out for a moment.   
  


“I saw it when I was a lich, the way people just didn’t see the burned down houses, or the missing towns. Whole families torn apart and they don’t care, they- they  _ can’t _ care Taako because they don’t know.” Barry was shaking a bit, and Taako couldn’t tell if it is in fear or anger. “She didn’t just do it to us, the whole world forgot.” The weight of that statement settled on him Taako. Over the past year, that would explain, the peace, the glassy looks in people’s eyes, the missing markers on maps. How had he never put it together?

“I decided to try to find the others, I knew Lucretia might look for me so most of my spell slots were just invisibility,” Barry laughed dryly. “She set everyone up with a fake backstory of sorts, to make Faerun their home. I don’t think she wanted us to suffer.”   
  
The fire crackled and sparked before Taako finally spoke up, “But we are.” He looked over the fire before laughing, no humor in his expression. “We  _ are  _ suffering. She doesn’t know it, but she ruined our lives. Lucretia fucking took _ everything  _ from us and she’s not even batting an eye!” He began to get heated. “We couldn’t even remember Lup. My twin sister, the fucking love of your life, Barry! She just took her away from us like it was nothing!” Taako’s voice cracked, causing him to go quiet once more. “I don’t want her to get away with doing that to us…” He almost whispered, his voice low with emotion.   
  
“She doesn’t want to hurt us, she just thinks she can save the world Taako, save it for good,” Barry said quietly. “What would you give away for a chance to finally stop the Hunger?” Taako stood up, “Not my own fucking family, the nerds I’ve been travelling with for a goddamn  _ century,  _ that’s selfish horseshit, no way.” By the time he stopped he realized he was yelling. He took a few deep breaths before Barry spoke up again, “But she did, because she thinks this is helping. Look Taako, I’m just as mad as you are, I’m furious but- this is Lucretia we are talking about. Not some stranger doing this to get back at ya. This is Luce.”    
  
Taako hated her, he wanted to hate her. She had done so much, erased so much. But what would he give up to save the world?

“Y’know…” He turned back to Barry, taking off his hat and running his fingers through his hair. “I wouldn’t be half as mad if she left Lup alone.” Taako drew a circle absentmindedly over the patch on the bright red jacket that sat between them. “She can take all the memories she wants, but just don’t…” He closed his eyes to try and stop the tears. “Don’t take my sister away. It’s not what she’d have wanted.” He felt Barry’s hand wrap around his and Taako squeezed it tightly.

“We’re gonna find her someday, Taako. Even if her body isn’t, she’s still alive out there, I-I just know it.” Barry tried to smile encouragingly. Taako moved himself so he was sitting beside Barry, scooting closer so he leaned up against his best friend and brother. “I know how much I miss her, but I’ve only had a little over a hundred years with her. I can’t imagine what you’re feeling, losing the one constant thing in your life,” Barry mused quietly, his voice barely audible. Taako rested his head against Barry’s shoulder, finding comfort in his company no matter how bleak the situation was.

“Hey, Barry…” Taako spoke up, trying not to let his voice shake. “What if she’s still in one piece? A-and she can’t remember her own fucking name because of Lucretia? She’s gotta be so scared, Barry,” he began to feel panicked, thinking about Lup all on her own. Feeling his body tense, Barry rubbed his thumb over Taako’s hand, trying to calm him down.

“We have ichor left, I promise you that when we find her, she won’t be scared anymore, okay Taako? We’ll save the rest for her in case she needs it.” Barry felt Taako relax slightly. “Chances are, she’s in lich form and she still remembers. All we gotta do is find her,” Taako relaxed a little more, loosening his grip on Barry’s hand but still holding on.

“All we gotta do is find her,” Taako repeated, as if trying to convince himself it was that easy. The two sat in silence for a while before Taako spoke up once more. “What are you gonna do when we find her?” Barry chuckled, looking up at the sky.

“I’m probably gonna hold her tight and tell her how much I love her. What about you?” Taako thought for a moment before nodding to himself.

“I mean, probably the same thing, just more brotherly.” He laughed a little, his voice shaking. “And I guess I’d make sure that she was doing okay. Like, really okay. Not just force a smile and say that it’s all good, but the kind of okay she hasn’t been in a while.” He sighed. “The kind that none of us have been in a while…” The sentence trailed off into more silence. It wasn’t a bad kind of silence, they both enjoyed having quiet moments. During the cycles where Lup ended up dying, however temporary, they always turned to each other for comfort. It had started when Barry caught Taako crying during the first cycle she had died. He knew she was coming back, they’d seen it happen in multiple cycles already, but the doubt in the back of his mind kept him up for weeks. Then, Barry was the only one Taako would open up to, even if it happened by accident. The dozen or so times she was lost after that, they always had these moments. Maybe one of them was crying, maybe both or neither was. But all the same, the moments of quiet they’d shared helped, even if nothing else did. And here in the woods outside of Phandalin, it still felt as if there was hope, just as there had always been. That’s all they needed.

After a bit, Barry heard the quiet, steady breathing coming from Taako and realized he’d fallen asleep. Careful not to wake him, Barry covered him with Lup’s jacket, then with his own blanket. He wasn’t going to fall asleep any time soon, and he knew Taako got cold easily. He shifted, laying Taako down on his bedroll. The fire was dying down, so he headed to get some more wood, but didn’t let Taako out of his sight. They were all each other had then, and Barry didn’t know what he’d do if he lost Taako too.


	4. Heading Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry says goodbye, Taako asks a favor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya folks! hope you guys are ready for some new characters starting next chapter as the boys head off for adventures! Also in this house, we love and support, Noelle Redcheek. New chapter next week (featuring more comedy than necessary)

By the time Taako had woken up, Barry had already packed up most of camp and had a map pulled out. Taako stretched before he wandered over to the map as well, as he tried to see what Barry was up to. “It’s nice being able to see the whole thing,” Barry said. Taako gave a small “huh” before he asked “What’s the plan Barold?” Barry finally looked up at Taako. 

 

Taako could see the dark circles under his eyes, Barry hadn’t slept. He could never sleep when he had something big in the works. “Well, right now we only have one thing going for us, and that’s that Lucretia doesn’t know we know.” Barry started. “Are you saying we keep going incognito?” Taako asked, pulling out a coffee mug out of who knows where (a small pocket dimension just for coffee because fuck not having caffeine). Barry nodded. “We have to do what Lucretia planned until we know what she’s planning, we just gotta live our lives, or rather, a life.” After a sip and a pause Taako asked, “What about Lup?”   
  
“We keep looking, we’ll have a cover and I think I know just the thing,” He points to a city on the map. Taako peered over, “What’s in Neverwinter?” Barry grinned, “A job opening.”   


 

Taako looked over to Barry’s notes scribbled hastily beside the town on the map and snorted. A professor at a Neverwinter arcane academy… That was the most Barry thing he could have ever come up with.

 

“Well, that’s great and all Professor Barold, but what am I supposed to do? You think I can teach kids and not get fired?” Taako pulled his hair up into a messy bun on top of his head, somewhat hiding it under his hat. “All I’m good for is cooking, magic, and making a scene.” Barry’s eyes lit up as he turned to Taako.

 

“Exactly! You could be a chef! The kind that draws people in and makes a big display out of a simple meal! Do you think you could incorporate magic into the dishes?” Barry started to roll the map up along with his notes.

 

“Pssshh, are you kidding? We lived together for a hundred years my dude, you’ve seen me fucking around with magic in the kitchen. Should be easy.” Taako tied his cape around his neck, making sure he looked okay. There wasn’t anyone to impress while adventuring in the forest, but that didn’t stop him from looking damn good while doing it.   
  


In the next week they had a plan. After the caught up at Barry’s cave (“A cave??? Barry you live in  a god damn cave???”) they had 3 objectives: blend in (act clueless), find out Lucretia’s plan, find Lup. “What if Lucretia finds us?” Barry asked while discussing the general plan. “We fake it till we make it bubbeleh, how do you think I got here?” Taako replied easily, while he painted his nails. Just being with Taako gave Barry so much strength again, he was so glad he has his friend back.   
  
They leave Phandalin with Barry making a few goodbyes to friends he made there, with the normal “Call me on my stone of far speech, or write! I’ll visit!” that usually no one follows up on. Taako knew Barry would anyway, and his friends would too because Barry is a friendly guy. Besides it helped build up his backstory. Or at least that’s what Barry said to Taako before he ran over to hug people goodbye. “What a nerd,” Taako mumbled fondly. Barry returned with a sad smile as Taako leaned against their wagon. “You ready Taako?” he asked. Taako observed the town before them. Full of nice people with nice families. And a certain head of red hair. “Actually give me a second, there’s a junior con artist I need to parlay with,” he excused himself, leaving Barry flustered but not very surprised. He was Taako after all.   
  
Taako followed the girl into the bar, it seemed she was making another delivery. She struggled with the weight, it seemed one bottle too many, and right when she was about to drop it, Taako cast levitate. That got her attention. After panicking for a second, then realizing none of the bottles fell out of the box, Noelle turned to Taako, “Thank you, my dad woulda had a fit if I broke these bottles.” Taako shrugged and made the crate sit itself on top of the bar counter, “My dude, you helped me back there. The least Taako can do is make sure nobody cries over spilled cider.” She laughed and wiped her hands on her shirt. “Kid, I’m goin away for a bit, and I know stranger danger and that shit whatever, I was wondering if you could help me out a bit,” Taako started, leaning on the bar. “No offense Mister-” “Taako.” “Right, Mister Taako but that was fun but I don’t wanna be screaming again, my throat was hoarse for days.” Taako couldn’t help but smile, she really gave 100%.   
  
“No nothing like the acting gig, just need you to be eyes and ears? See any weird shit, hear any weird shit, you call good ole wizard Taako and I help you out too, hows that sound.” Taako looked around the bar as he tried to act casual. This was a lot to ask but a contact is a contact, no matter if it’s just a teenager who can get into bars. “I don’t want gold,” Noelle said, and Taako was surprised. “Well what do you want?” “I want to learn elvish.” Noelle stated. 

 

Taako dropped his casual act and looked at Noelle. She held a determined look on her face, even though she was young she looked ready. Ready for something. “Trying to pick up elves at school? Popular I know,” he tried with a weak laugh. She held that look. “I want to travel, I mean not now, I love working on my family’s farm but,” she twisted the bottom of her shirt nervously in her hands, “One day I wanna go around and help people yanno? And if I can’t talk to them I can’t help them.”

 

He understood. She wanted more out of life, wanted to change the world. She didn’t know that if she tried to change it she might get hurt.  _ Well, if she wants to be an adventurer might as well be me who teaches her to do that shit right  _ Taako thought. Then he held out his hand. “Two lessons a week over our stones of far speech capisce? But we are not just gonna do elvish, homie that’s thinking  _ small.  _ Cha boy Taako is a multilingual dictionary we are gonna hit up all of it.”   
  


She smiled immediately, and instead of shaking his hand rushed into a hug. “You got it Mister Taako,” She said into his shoulder before she let go. “I will be the best spy this part of the cave system, you won’t regret it!” 

 

The quick hug ended and Taako pulled out some gold and handed it to her. “What’s this for?” She asked. Taako grabbed a bottle of cider and put it in his bag, “For the road, catch ya on the flipside Elli!” 

 


	5. Pocket Full of Pudding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry pulls out some sick tricks, Taako lowkey wants to die, and a new friend is made

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll know what time it is ;) (It's new character introduction time)

The ride to Neverwinter was pretty tense, as Barry and Taako both felt that they could be caught by Lucretia at any moment. But somehow, that tension was lessened by the fact that, for the first time in quite a while, neither of them were alone. Most of the time, Taako and Barry sat at the front of the wagon together, but occasionally one of them would head into the back to rest. Just having each other there made everything seem a little less bleak, even though they knew anything could go wrong in a split second.

“Hey Barold?” Taako broke the silence in the middle of the night, causing Barry to sit up straight, not realizing he was dozing off.

“Yeah, Taako?” He yawned in response, stretching his arms.

“How the fuck are we gonna get jobs if neither of us have real identities here? Cuz lemme tell you, if I have to go by some garbage name like Sildar Hallwinter, I’m bailing. Nothing but the best for ol’ Taako.” Barry snorted.

“I don’t know about you bud, but Sildar Hallwinter isn’t the worst name I’ve ever heard. Either way, I say we find a rogue or someone at the shadiest bar we can to basically forge identities and backstories that will fit our aliases.” Taako thought for a minute, trying to decide what kind of a life he’d want in Neverwinter. Obviously he was going to cook, but the thought of just being a presence in the back of a kitchen was horrible. He wanted to be known as well as possible without drawing attention to himself from anyone outside of town. Sort of a local celebrity.

“So we just have to find someone who can help us bullshit our way into society?” Taako adjusted his position on the wagon. “Cuz whoever can help us do that is automatically gonna be a hero in Taako’s book. Lies and slander, here we come!” He cheered, increasing the speed of the wagon.

By the time they reached Neverwinter it was late, and perfect for barhopping. They parked by a pub near the outskirts of town, dimly lit, with dark alleys that brewed full of the unknown. “You ready for this?” Barry asked as the cart slowed. “Gettin’ chummy with a bunch of thugs? Just a normal Friday over here,” Taako shrugged, hiding his hesitation. They made sure to cast a protection spell on their belongings and they head in.

The bar was buzzing with activity. The bartender served drinks, and everyone looked like they were enjoying themselves. “Hey this place doesn’t seem to bad,” Barry said, looking over the locals. They both took a seat at the bar, and the bartender came over and asked what they wanted. “Just a ginger ale for me,” Barry responded. Taako thought for a moment and looked around. There has to be someone of interest here. A flash of blue scales caught his eye, someone was sneaking around just for a moment. His eyes returned to the bartender, “I’ll take whatever you got on tap my man.” The guy nodded and went to get the drinks. “You don’t like beer that much,” Barry said, with a hint of suspicion. “Follow my lead Barold.” Taako then waited. Whoever was sneaking around had to slip up. He put a small gold purse on the counter and then turned away from it. “Someone’s gonna steal that,” Barry pointed out. Taako merely winked and said “I’m counting on it. Let’s just enjoy the scenery hm?” 

The bartender returned and placed their drinks on the counter, and looked to Barry. “It’s on the house,” he said with a wink. Taako waited for Barry to turn a red blushing mess, as was his usual. Barold with flirting was like a middle schooler on Valentines day. That did not happen. Instead, Barry smirked and took a long swig of his ginger ale, “Is it now?” The bartender swallowed and Taako felt the sudden urge to leave the room and rethink his life. Someone had shapeshifted into a human in blue jeans and killed Barry. That was the only answer. Barry leaned on the counter, closer to the guy. “Name for a name?” he said, still looking like that. “Avi, I’m the guy who can get you the good stuff, any drink you want, I got it, what about you,” Avi was blushing. There was no well Taako could dive into and drown himself but he wanted too. “Sildar, I got a nickname but you can find that out later,” Barry said, and then honest to Istus, he winked. Someone called out to Avi asking for a drink and he sputtered out, “Talk to you later,” before rushing over.

“What. The fuck. Was that.” Taako enunciated each word with a hand gesture. “I’ve known you for over 100 years, where the FUCK did that come from. You’re the same guy who pined over my sister for like 50 years! When she calls you ‘babe’ you gasp!” He finally looked Barry in the eyes, and he doubled over laughing. “You’re the straight guy of the group! You cried when Lup gave you a Valentine!” Taako was nearly yelling, which was not overly loud for the bar scene but still made his point. Barry finally caught his breath and took a sip from his glass. Taako crossed his arms, as he waited impatiently for an answer. “Lup is the love of my life, my afterlife, everything. I see her and my heart is on fire, I’m such a sucker for her.” He explained, a warm smile on his face. “But Taako, I’m bi as hell and if you think my college days were just studying than you got a big storm coming. We need to find someone to help us and the local bartender is a good place to start” Taako promptly covered his ears, “Lies, lies and slander, Barry you cannot be a flirt I won’t allow it, I mean continue the bi thing hell yeah but if I have to see you wink at Avi or whatever his face is I will die and wait for the cycle to restart.”

Barry sipped at his ginger ale and shrugged. “I am so telling Lup about this when we find her,” Taako said, crossing his arms again. Barry turned bright red. “Whoomp there it is,” Taako turned away, finally feeling his victory. He cast a spell on the bag and turned back. The trap was laid, the bartender flirted with. Now they just needed to wait.

They settled into more casual conversation, Taako kept his peripheral vision on the bag while not touching the beer and laughing at whatever Barry said. Not that he wasn’t paying attention, but both of them knew why they were really here so Barry rambled nonetheless. Taako didn’t react as he saw something finally. A flash of blue scales and a silent approach. “Hey Barry, you know what’s funny?” Taako started, as he acted none the wiser. “What’s that?” Barry said, and there was a gentle gasp from right behind him. Right on cue. “Who the hell has a coin purse full of pudding?”

As soon as he heard that Taako whipped around to finally look the rogue in the face. She was a young dragonborn, not a kid but obviously still naive, trying to pickpocket in this busy bar without being caught. Her hand was covered in vanilla pudding and she looked confused until she looked up and saw Taako. He was smiling. “Take a seat homeslice,” he patted the barstool gently. Avi must have heard the commotion and walked on over. “Is there a problem over here?” Taako waved his hand dismissively, “Just a pudding prank Avi, go back to flirting with the clientele.” He didn’t look up but Taako heard Avi sputter and walk away. He passed the girl his beer, “Got a name?” 

She hesitated before taking a sip. Taako heard Barry softly go “oh that’s what the beer’s for,” before their new guest spoke up. “What do you guys want,” She started, avoiding the question. Taako conjured up a wine glass and started swirling it in his hand, as it slowly filled with something that would taste like gogurt, “Right now, I’m just askin’ for your name. I’m Taako you know, from T.V? And the denim mess behind me is Barry.” Barry peeked out from behind Taako to say a curt hello. She seemed to acknowledge their openness and she finally spoke,”I’m Carey, Carey Fangbattle.” She turned around to make sure Avi was out of earshot and she asked, “You guys aren’t gonna uh, like dunk on me for trying to rob you right? Cause I know that’s not cool of me but like a gal’s gotta eat.” The beer in her hand was half gone, and Taako took a tentative sip of his conjured wine. Still gogurt. “Nah Taako doesn’t play dirty. You pickpocketed like what, 7 people in the past 15 minutes? That’s pretty good, I’d say you just passed your job interview my man.” There was a pause, before both Carey and Barry exclaimed simultaneously, “What?”

“Taako we can’t just put our trust in some random thief!” “Excuse you Mister I’m a rogue and a good one I’ll have you know I am not just any random thief.” “That doesn’t mean we can just hire her!” “What am I being hired for, exactly?” They both stopped arguing and turned to face Taako, who didn’t have a plan. 

“Well,” He started. Barry groaned behind him, “You didn’t think this far did you Taako?” The wine glass was evaporated back into nothingness and he crossed his arms. “Look at least I found someone who might help us! Barry we don’t even exist in this plane and she does, I say that’s one point Taako.” “I didn’t just come back from the dead for you to lug me around on an idiotic plan,” Barry was turning an angry shade of red when Carey cleared her throat.

Two heads swiveled to meet her suddenly nervous eyes, “Look guys I don’t know what you’re caught up in but uh I think this sounds like a personal issue, I- I should go.” She go up from her barstool and to Taako’s surprise, Barry sighed. “Wait, just wait,” he took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Carey tentatively sat back down. “You guys seem like your in some powerful trouble, coming back from the dead, not from this plane? This, this is above whatever you could pay me,” Carey grabbed the beer glass as she admitted her hesitation.

Barry made a noncommittal noise, drawing the conversation back to him. It was a lot to ask to help them personally. A pair of dudes and a stranger in some bar far from their homes, two in over their heads and one afraid to get dragged down with them. Barry got that. Barry asked her to wait. He had to think fast. The clip of silence was quickly ended as Barry set down his ginger ale on the counter. “Carey, you’re right.” Taako’s ears showed his surprise. “This is a lot, we are a lot. And you are just a freelance rogue right? If you don’t want to get caught up in this that’s fine. Taako and I are- we’re a bit complicated at the moment. We’re alone, our family is gone and we are a bit lost. We need new names, we need places in this world. That’s not gonna be solved overnight.” He seemed to be looking past the bar as he stared at. “You seem like a good kid. Don’t wanna interrupt your scene. This isn’t a good job recruitment speech. But right now we are at a crossroads that has brought us to you. And that puts you on the same fork, what you do is up to you.” he stood from the bar, and finally faced Carey. “Whatever happens is gonna happen. But what happened before this? Gotta ask yourself what’s gonna happen after.” He turned around and started walking towards the door as Taako and Carey stared, dumbfounded. Taako snapped out of it and stumbled after him, leaving a tip for Avi.

Barry leaned against the wall outside the bar when Taako caught up. He stared up at the stars, distracted. “You’re gonna tell me what that was about in there Barold?” Taako leaned on the wall too. “We don’t need to be drawing people into our mess unless they want to get messy.” He looked down at his feet. “And she seemed to be looking for trouble already right?” Taako squinted as he tried to connect the dots. What happened before this was she was pickpocketing at bars, being risky, taking chances. She wanted something risky. She wanted an adventure. “Oh you piece of shit,” Taako shoved Barry a bit once he figured it out. Barry shoved back and Taako was about to argue when the bar door swung open behind them. Carey stood there, a smirk on her lips, “So what kind of trouble you guys got?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was also known as the barry bijeans chapter, if you were wondering


	6. A non-Lunar Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Somewhere else a shop is open, and two wonderers try to find something. One finds something else.

A bell rang as Lucretia opened the door to the small shop. She walked in as Davenport shuffled in behind her, close to her side. The person at the counter, presumably the owner of the shop, quickly snapped his head up to examine the new customers. “Welcome to Rockport’s Rarities,” he said in a tired voice. It was near the end of the day, the sun looking to set soon. 

This was the last shop Lucretia planned on visiting today. She had been travelling with Davenport to try and find the relics, starting with the oculus. Really, finding any leads would be great but she thought, since Davenport was with her, maybe it would be lucky for the oculus. Not that he knew. He didn’t know much nowadays. It had been a year since he said anything but his name. Lucretia shook her head to clear her thoughts and surveyed the small shop. Only one other customer milled about, an elf examining an antique watering can in the corner. Davenport seemed more comfortable inside and looked around curiously at the wares. Lucretia left him to wonder and approached the owner at the counter. “Excuse me,” she said, getting his attention. “What can I help you with?” He said easily, ready to do business.

She had to chose her words carefully, too many details and it would be static, too little and it would leave it to vague. She looked around the shop, thinking of how to phrase it before subtly nodding to herself.

“I’m looking for a… Special item, I guess.” Lucretia drummed her fingers against the counter.

“You’re gonna have to be more specific than that, there’s a lot of special items out there,” he started to look bored. She sighed, biting her lip as she ran through her words in her mind, making sure nothing would static out.

“Have you heard anything about a special… Monocle?” She looked over his expression, seeing if there was any change as if her words had changed to static. His expression still looked bored and she took a deep breath. “A monocle with… Magic abilities? Maybe something that can change how one perceives the world?” The man at the counter snorted, leaning against it.

“That’s what monocles do. You need help with your vision? I’ve got monocles, glasses, shit like that.” He leaned down, pulling a drawer out and setting it on top of the counter. “It’s not magic, you know that, right? It just helps your eyes focus on what’s blurred in your vision.” He looked at Lucretia with a small smirk. She groaned, closing her eyes.

“I know how glasses work, I’m not an idiot,” Lucretia leaned closer, speaking slower to try to get her point across. “What I’m looking for is magical. Something to do with illusion magic, maybe with transformative powers?” The man cringed away from her at the end of the sentence.

“You speakin’ some weird language? Half of what you were saying didn’t come through or something.” She paused, rethinking her phrasing. “Look, just go through these and if you don’t see something you’re interested in, give me a holler.” He turned, grabbing an envelope from a shelf behind him. “Jenkins, I have those plant seeds you were askin’ about!” He called out to the elf across the store,walking over towards him. Lucretia went through the box, trying to figure out if any of them were right. She sighed, pushing it away from her. No thrall. None of them were right. Running her fingers through her hair and staring down at the counter, trying to think of the next move, she didn’t notice Davenport wandering off.

Davenport bumbled through the door and went outside. The sky was crystal clear, the night air crisp, if he were paying attention Davenport would have shivered. Instead, he tilted his head up, mouth parted slightly in awe of the stars. He couldn’t put a lot of things together. His name was Davenport. Her name was- her name was Lucretia. They were looking for something. Lucretia was sad, that makes him feel bad. It’s his fault she’s sad. He blinked and wondered as the stars twinkled so far away. He could’ve sworn they were closer at some point and-. Blank. He was thinking about something right? He blinks again, and looks up. The stars…

“Thank you for your time,” Lucretia says, trying not to let the disappointment creep into her voice as she turns around. “Davenport lets-” The small gnome was no longer behind her. “Shit.” 

She walks outside the shop, and sees Davenport in the middle of the road, looking up at the night sky like it’s the first time he’s seen it. “Davenport?” She asked, keeping her voice level. He never tended to wander off like this. If he heard he, he didn’t show it. He reached his arm up, trying to touch the stars. “Davenport,” she tried again, a little more tersely. His head swiveled and he suddenly looked very aware. His eyes seemed clear, the night sky reflected in them. His pointed hand points at her. “Lu- Lucretia?” Faerun felt like it stopped rotating, Lucretia’s breath hitched. 

Davenport cocked his head to the side, and gauged her reaction, “Lucretia.” His voice holds more confidence, more command. Lucretia starts to panic, this isn’t supposed to happen, did he manage to drink the ichor? Davenport looks her over and goes back to staring at the stars. Lucretia let out a breath she didn’t know she held, and finally said quietly, “Davenport?” 

It’s as if someone has snapped their fingers, as Davenport’s focus on the stars shifted, and he held his head in his hands. “Daven- Davenport,” He stuttered, as he bent down to the ground. Lucretia didn’t move, but she understood. This was Davenport trying to remember. This was the Voidfish’s power not letting him. She felt a wetness on her cheek, and realized she had started crying. Davenport’s breathing steadied and he got back on his feet. He glanced at her and their eyes locked. His eyes had that glassy quality back to them, and Lucretia felt both guilty, and reassured. “Davenport?” He asked, seeing Lucretia’s worried look. She took a moment to compose herself and stood up straight. “Let’s get going Dav, we have a lot of ground to cover.” She turned and he followed. She would fix this, she has to fix this. She needs her family back. Hopefully they need her back too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright I got one piping hot plate of Lucretia angst, anybody want some fries with that? We may skip a week of updating to get ahead on writing but we aren't sure so stay tuned for more "Taako and Barry mess up their lives" after the break.


	7. hey, this isn't too bad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carey is a miracle worker, Barry doesn't wear jeans, and Taako, is. Yeah he's Taako.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello folks! Sorry for the VERY DELAYED chapter, writing got pushed back because school and work and finals! But we are back and will be for weekly updates (hopefully). Back to Taako and Barry adventures!

“Okay, so it took a lot of work because I’m like, barely an adult and you two don’t really have identities, but I managed to get you an apartment and some fake IDs.” Carey sat down next to Barry and Taako at the Neverwinter bar they’d settled into a few days prior. She slid some papers towards them and tapped her fingers on the table as they read them over. “I don’t really know your full names, so Taako, I just kind of… Spelled your name differently for the last name? Taako Taaco definitely sounds fake, but whatever, at least it’s an identity.” Barry looked over the sheet before sighing, looking over at her.

“Sildar Hallwinter?” He tapped the paper. “That’s not… Okay.” Barry folded the papers back up.

“Hey, that’s the name you told Avi at the bar! I figured Barry was just some weird nickname I wasn’t aware of.” Carey pouted, sticking her tongue out at him. Taako snorted, patting her hand.

“It’s great, thanks my dude. At least we’re not completely anonymous anymore, Taako’s gotta build up his brand again.” He set some coins down on the table, standing up. “So, where’s this apartment you scored for us?” Carey seemed to get upbeat once more.

“Follow me!” She dragged them out of the bar and down the street. Barry and Taako kept giving each other looks, unsure of what to expect. She led them to a small building, pulling keys out of her pocket while practically buzzing with excitement. “Here it is!!” Carey grinned widely, swinging the door open to reveal a small apartment. “Ta daa!” She posed with her arms out, gesturing wildly at the empty room. Seeing Barry’s raised eyebrow and Taako’s unimpressed expression, she dropped her arms to her sides, groaning. “I mean, it’s not great, but it’s the best I could do without a lot of info about you nerds.” Taako tossed his pack to the ground, looking around at the empty apartment in front of them. Barry walked around, peeking into a bedroom down the hall.

“We can make it work. We just don’t have much of anything yet. It’ll look better once we get some furniture in here!” Barry turned, giving Carey a supportive smile. She beamed, obviously very proud of herself. It wasn’t a bad apartment, it just seemed a little small for the three of them to live comfortably in. Taako just sat on the floor, slowly slipping down until he was splayed out completely.

“It’s fuckin bed time for Taako, I haven’t had a safe place to completely relax and sleep in a year.” He pulled his hat over his face. “I don’t even care that I’m pretty sure there’s a splinter in my ass, I’m ready to sleep!”

Barry sighed and pulled a blanket out of his pack, draping it over him. He turned back to Carey, “We owe you big time,” He said. She fiddled with her hands nervously, “Uhm yeah, about that, I’m gonna need you guys to uh, actually pay me.” Taako rolled over and without sitting up, addressed the issue, “Don’t worry, when I’m famous in 3 months and Barry is a prestigious teacher dude we’re gonna treat ya like royalty kid.” He paused to yawn, “Make that 2 months.”

“That’s a while for an IOU, but, for some reason I trust you guys,” Carey admitted. She felt a hand on her shoulder and found herself suddenly enveloped in a hug. “You’re a friend now to us Carey, we trust you too.” Barry’s honest voice seeped into the empty apartment, followed by the small snores of Taako drifting off. He stepped back, a small smile still on his lips. Carey felt at home somewhat. “See you tomorrow? Taako mentioned wanting to go shopping with you or something?” Carey snorted, turning to leave, “He’s broke so that should go well.” “Thrifting” Taako mumbled in his sleep. Carey and Barry shared a look and she made her way out the door. She sure had met some weird people huh?

 

The door shut behind her and Barry was left in the dark apartment. He never was one for the dark. He settled down next to Taako, who had curled up on the cold floor. “We’re really doing this huh?” He said to empty air. Taako’s only reply was his breathing. Barry rolled over and traced circles onto the wood floor. “Never thought it would be me and you in a bachelor pad, Lup would have laughed at us like this. No furniture, in a town we don’t really know.” He let out a breath. “I hope this works out, I- I hope we can do this Taako, I think we can, I know we can do this.”

 

Taako woke up first, which was odd, and the first thing he noticed was Barry was using him as a pillow and had stolen the blanket. Two things punishable by death. Looking around the apartment, he saw the sunlight drifting through the windows, “Must be dawn.” He looked at Barry, shrugged and then slapped him on the cheek. Barry woke up with a start, reaching for his glasses and drawing his wand. “Taako what- did you just slap me?” His hair stuck up and he rubbed at his eyes. Taako stood up, “Rise and shine we got jobs to get Barold.” 

Twenty minutes and 3 outfits changes later they both found themselves ready to hit the town. Barry held the door open as the both walked out. “You’re interview is at noon right?” Taako asked and Barry nodded. “They had a slot open for a teaching position, and my resume makes me seem legit enough. Me and Carey bluffed most of it uh- I don’t have any job experience on this plane.” Taako shook his head, and they headed down the stairs, “What happened to your honesty Bluejeans? Lying to a interviewer? What’s next? Stealing candy from babies?” “That was once and that baby deserved it.” Barry said with a sudden fierceness that let Taako know he pushed the right button. The view from the outside of the apartment was pleasant. They were near the market section of downtown, which made the apartment cheap. “No one wants to deal with the construction and traffic, also it always smells like lemons they clean so much,” or at least that’s what Carey claimed. Sure enough in the morning they could see the town start up, people walking to work and shops opening stalls. Barry had to head uptown to get to the university, and wanted to see what routes he could take. “Hey I’ll see you later I’m gonna head off,” Barry said. Taako shrugged, “Don’t get lost, my man, Taako has errands to run.” They headed their separate ways.

Taako was going to the bank. The bank, where he was going to open an account, and ask for a loan. Like some kind of responsible adult or something. He explained why he needed to do this to Barry when they were first making their plan.

 

“Why don’t you just get hired as a chef and work your way up?” Barry asked. Taako stopped his pacing and looked appalled. “You want me, Taako, to make subpar food at some dinky restaurant which won’t know a quiche from scrambled eggs? Why do you wound me Barry, I thought we were family.” He put a hand over his heart dramatically. Barry sighed, this argument had been going on for an hour. “That would be way easier than starting your own business Taako.” Taako waved a hand flippantly, “It’ll work out.”

Two weeks ago that sounded right. Now Taako sat in the stuffy office, a dwarf looking him up and down and examining papers. The nameplate on her desk read “Riley Hylan” and looked very organized, looked like she knew her shit. Taako wasn’t too fond of offices though. “Right Mr-” “Taaco, with a C.” The dwarf adjusted her glasses. “Yes, Mr. Taaco, you’re applying for a small business loan?” Taako nodded, sitting up straight in his chair. “That’s right homie, wanna show the world what Taako has got.” She made a small hm and shuffled some papers around. He held the back urge to play with his hair anxiously. “Well Mr. Taaco since you are new to town and new to the bank we might need some collateral, as much as your credit is good-” (Taako quietly thanked Istus for Carey’s work) “the bank will need reassurance that you will follow through with payments.” She tapped her pen on the desk and Taako thought back thinking. The tense air was broken as Taako snapped his fingers, “Do you have a kitchen here?” She looked taken aback, “yes just down the hall, but why do you need to know?” Taako smiled and practically jumped out of his seat, “I got some collateral so show ya Ms. Hylan.”

Barry wasn’t a nervous man by nature. Shy at times yes? Got anxiety? Also yes. Okay maybe he was. But he didn’t think he felt this nervous for a job interview before. Granted, it had been over a century since he had to apply for one, so he was rusty. Even with his confidence, the University was intimidating. In Barry’s research he found it was one of greatest in all of Faerun, thanks to a diverse staff and teaching variety, and it’s dedication to all of it’s students. Professors were the best of the best, landing a job here meant you made discoveries, made theories, or just had plain gumption. Barry had done all three, but not on this planet. Well, maybe the gumption part. He tapped his foot on the floor, which thankfully was covered by the noise of the secretary's pen. He adjusted his shirt collar, feeling claustrophobic in the small waiting area. The door beside him opened, and Barry looked up. “Sildar Hallwinter?” a young orc asked. “That’s me.” The orc smiled, “Follow me.”

Barry stood and followed her down a hall and into her respective office. She closed the door behind them with a soft click, and turned around to face him. “Please, Mr. Hallwinter, have a seat.” He sat down in a rather comfortable chair across from her desk, and she made her way over to a table by the wall. “Tea?” she asked. Barry looked over his shoulder to reply, “Yes, thank you.” She poured two cups and walked back over. “Thank you,” Barry said, accepting his cup. She sat down at her desk and set hers down. “My name is Juniper Blunt, I’m in charge of hiring the teaching staff here at this University, specifically magic wielding staff.” She took a sip from her cup. “Now Mr. Hallwinter, your resume was stunning, but here at this school we tend to do a more, hands on interview.” Barry adjusted in his seat, now even more worried. “Especially with the position you are going for, to teaching controlled necromancy and upper level defensive courses.” She stood up, brandishing a wand, “So let’s test those traits hm?” Barry swallowed back a retort and nodded. He hoped he wouldn’t use up all his spell slots on this.

“Aaand, here it is.” Taako pulled a small towel off of the plate for extra dramatic effect. “The best food you’ve ever seen in your life.” Ms. Hylan looked over the meal, smiling a little.

“You made this… Out of just the little food from the break room kitchen?” Taako offered her a fork, which she quickly took and grabbed a small bite. “This is… Indescribably amazing, and with so little ingredients.” She looked up at Taako. “I think this qualifies as collateral. Congratulations, Mr. Taaco.” She reached out to shake his hand. Taako beamed, patting her on the back.

“I’ll make sure you’re the first to eat at my restaurant, Ms. Hylan.” She led him back down the hall to finish up the paperwork.

Barry threw himself into the wall as flames licked up his sides. “Mr. Hallwinter you seem familiar with pyromantic magic,” Juniper noted with an almost idle tone, despite half the room being scorched. Barry had already demonstrated several shields (thanks Lucretia for that) and had blocked most of her attacks. However he just bought this suit and now the cuffs of the blazer were only slightly on fire. “I’ve had a lot of training,” Barry admitted. He put his sleeves out and in the several seconds they eyed each other, he came up with a plan.

 

The signature was messy, but the paperwork was done and Taako handed over the nice pen back. “Now the loan payments will be start after your business opens, that’s a Neverwinter small business policy,” Ms. Hylan explained. Taako nodded, he had read the paperwork but it was nice to know people in this city cared. He stood up, pushing his chair back, “Thank you,” He said, surprised by his own genuineness. He held out a had and she shook it, standing as well. “I look forward to opening day, give me a ring hm?” She held out a card with a stone of farspeech frequency on it. He pocketed and smiled, “Oh you got a reserved table for you and whoever you want miss.” He walked out of the bank feeling lighter. “I wonder how Barold is doing,” he wondered aloud while walking back to the apartment.

As another flame spell burst from her wand, Barry decided to make his move. She had been following a pattern of throwing spells, and in turn he had a defensive pattern. It was time to shake things up. There was a pause and he had a moment to readjust himself. His idea was stupid, but hey, he’s had stupider. Barry cast blink as she pulled up the flames, not casting a visible defense spell and disappearing with the fire. After a moment he blinked back right in front of her, surprising Hylan who was still looking around with a slight worried look. Grabbing her wand, he twisted it away from her and pocketed it. She stood there, disarmed, looking dumbfounded. Barry shifted his weight, “Uhm, yeah.” She walked back to her desk, which was looking worse for wear, and took a seat. “Well Mr. Hallwinter, I think that example proved your skills of defense very well, good job.” She opened a drawer and held out a paper. “Welcome to the University, Professor.”

Barry walked out of the university, a small, proud smile still lingering on his face. As he made his way home, he wondered how Lup would have reacted. She obviously would have been proud of him, giving a small comment about how he went full nerd. Barry felt his eyes prickle with tears and he quickly wiped them away beneath his glasses. He couldn’t keep feeling like he lost her, she was definitely still out there, no matter how far away she might have been. They hadn’t become liches together for nothing. Even if her body was gone, Lup was still alive.

“Hey, buck up Bluejeans!” He heard her voice behind him and he quickly spun around, blinking away the tears that instinctively came to his eyes. “You’ll find me eventually, you’re a smart guy, babe.” He saw a faint outline of a red robe, then it instantly vanished. Barry frantically looked around, completely confused at what just happened. Shaking his head, he continued walking, somewhat in a daze. What did she mean by “find her”? He was working on autopilot, his concentration focused on where Lup could be at that moment. Nobody passing by him even registered in his vision, which may have been a problem if someone also wasn’t paying attention.

He rounded the corner to their street and ran directly into Carey and Taako, knocking them down. Taako stood up quickly, ready to fight whoever had ran into them, then rolled his eyes, shoving Barry playfully.

“Watch where you’re walking, Barold!” Barry just laughed, brushing off his pants and helping Carey stand.

“Sorry Taako, I guess my mind was elsewhere.” He rubbed his neck, wondering if he should tell Taako about what he saw or not.

“Mmmyeah, no shit.” Taako snorted, elbowing him. 

“So, how’d the interview go, Bluejeans?” Carey spoke up, grinning at him. “Didja crush it like I knew you would?”

“Yeah, actually!” He beamed proudly. “I got the job, I’m gonna be a professor at the college.” Carey tackled him into a hug, catching him off guard.

“Duuuude, I’m so proud of you!” He awkwardly but genuinely hugged her back, feeling proud of himself. “Let’s go out to celebrate, this is awesome! You get the university job as a professional nerd, and Taako over here got the loan for his own restaurant!” Carey pulled Taako into the hug, who looked like he’d rather not be thrown into a group hug but was grinning despite that.

“Looks like we’re slightly starting to get our lives together, huh?” Taako smiled, making eye contact with Barry across the hug. Barry nodded, smiling a little. It seemed just a few days before that they wouldn’t be able to make it on their own in this world after faking identities, but now, they were starting to get it all figured out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did they go thrifting? Yes they did. Also we don't know anything about small businesses or banks, or hiring processes but hey this is fiction right?


	8. A boy and his duck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A certain carpenter settles into the market, and a certain boy walks the streets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow it only took a month to get back on the writing train (our bad I'm v sorry! we didn't abandon this, we are just busy) Thank Maddie for this chapter....shes good w them feelings yo. Barry and Taako will return next week folks!

It had been a few years and Magnus knew he needed to move on. Not completely; Ravens Roost and all that happened there would always be with him. You don’t just forget the best and worst things that have happened to you. You hold them close and you treasure them. Magnus literally held Julia’s memory close whenever he adjusted her red bandana that he’d worn around his neck every single day. He had managed to settle into a cozy apartment in Neverwinter and had a little cart on the street where he sold his woodworking projects. It wasn’t a full workshop yet, but he was getting there. Every day before bed, he would write to Julia, telling her every detail of his day so she would be in on the loop, despite her absence. A small wooden box was hidden under the table where he tucked every letter. It was more than a symbolic thing, it gave him a reason to continue. To be able to talk to her in this way, to think of how she would feel about his life and what he put in the letters, it gave him that connection he didn’t know he still needed

Magnus set up a few of his handcrafted clocks early one spring morning, the fog just starting to dissipate on the streets as the sun rose. He hummed one of those small tunes that couldn’t seem to leave his head and turned over a small wooden duck, double checking that it didn’t have any glaring errors. As soon as he set it down on the table, a tiny hand reached for it.

“These ducks are very cute, sir!” A small boy in a school uniform who looked no older than 6 years old grinned up at Magnus, pushing his glasses up on his heavily freckled nose. They took up nearly half his face and Magnus couldn’t help but let out a tiny noise, seeing how small and adorable this kid was.

“You can take one!” He caught himself saying on instinct. This kid could have asked for the keys to his apartment and Magnus would have handed them over and offered to help the little guy move in. The boy set it back down, shaking his head as he clutched his book bag closer.

“My grandpa says I can’t take things from strangers!” He said matter of factly. Magnus couldn’t help but smile a little. Of course this adorable little motherfucker was cautious about strangers, he was a stand up kid who Magnus would die for in an instant. It had only been a minute and he didn’t even know the boy’s name, but he would absolutely kill for him. As he silently questioned if a tiny mob boss would be tried as an adult or a kid, he managed to respond.

“Well, what’s your name little dude? Mine’s Magnus.” He knelt down, realizing he was towering over him. “I make things out of wood, I love dogs, and I can cook spaghetti without burning down the kitchen.” The boy looked him over curiously, setting his bag down on the table.

“My name’s Angus.” He thought for a minute, then nodded to himself after gathering some facts about himself. “I like reading, and I live with my grandpa. Why did you ask, sir?” He bounced a little, rocking on his heels.

“Well, now we’re not strangers, Angus!” Magnus offered the duck to him again. “So you’re not taking a gift from a stranger.” Angus grinned widely at that realization, reaching for it a little excitedly.

He took the duck and examined it with rapt attention. Magnus was proud of his work, but they look in Angus’s eyes made him swell up a little with pride. “Are you sure I don’t have to pay sir? This is a very lovely duck and I know most nice things cost money, that’s what grandpa always says.” Angus spoke a bit bashfully, clearly not wanting to leave the duck behind. Despite being the adult here, Magnus quickly shook his head and crossed his arms. “Nooope, the duck likes you if I take it back now it will be sad,” he reasoned. Angus held it a little tighter, “I don’t want to make it sad sir!” Biting his cheek to hold in a smile, Magnus stood up and went back behind the table.

Angus looked unsure what to do with himself, and fidgeted with the duck in his hands, running his fingers over the smooth polished beak. “Thank you very much sir, I will take good care of this duck.” He said eventually, but still hesitating to leave. Magnus picked up on the hint and tried to look casual as he organized the rest of this table. “It’s Monday, don’t you have school to get to soon?” He tried. Angus shifted his backpack a bit on his shoulders and pushed up his classes. “Yeah it school starts soon, I- I should be going.” Surprisingly he sounded sad, and it made Magnus want to wrap this boy in a blanket and make him grilled cheese for the rest of his life. 

“Welll Angus, let’s make a deal,” Magnus started. The boy snapped his head up, curious, “What do you mean sir?” In response, a piece of wood was pulled out from Magnus’s bag, and set on the table. “If you go to school today, and do very well and do not skip and learn your ABC’s then I’ll make a friend for your duck,” Magnus said, pulling out a carving knife along with some other tools. He tried to ignore how the boys eyes lit up. “Sir I already know my ABCs,” he said. Magnus waved his hand, “You’ll do just fine then!” 

 

His excitement must have gotten to him, because Angus looked ready to take on, well whatever grade he was in. 1st right? He opened his backpack and carefully put the duck in, closing it and holding a hand out. “It’s a deal sir!” 

Magnus resisted the urge to laugh as his hands enveloped the very small ones of the 6 year old. Angus wasn’t phased and seemed determined, a smile set on his face. “I- I’m going to school then!” He started to walk away and Magnus turned back to organizing his table. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a small hand once again, but this time placing something on the table. He glanced up to see Angus. “Iknowyousaiditwasagiftbut,” a breath, “Grandpasaysit’snicetogivethingsback!” He smiled and ran back down the road. 

He looked down to see what was placed on the table. It was a small magnifying glass, small, but would be big in Angus’s grasp. Magnus smiled, and it felt like the first smile he had in a very long time.

 

For months they kept that up. Angus would stop by on his way to school, Magnus would ask him what kind of wood carving he’d like that day. Sometimes he’d bring breakfast or a snack, sometimes Angus would just sit in his company, not wanting anything in particular carved for him. Before school, he’d be there. After school, he’d stay for a few hours, always giving Magnus company and light conversation while he worked on his carpentry. Magnus would never admit it to anyone but himself, and possibly Angus if he pried, but it made him look forward to every single day. Something about having more than just a stall in the marketplace to get him through the week helped. He still wrote letters, tucking them into that small wooden box for Julia. The day he caught himself writing about Angus made him realize they’d developed a familial bond. Something deeper than friendship, but where Magnus still felt the need to protect Angus with everything he had. And he absolutely would.

Magnus walked from his apartment to the marketplace, making sure he’d brought all his tools with him. And of course a lunch for Angus. He knew Angus’ grandfather was forgetful sometimes and didn’t want him to go hungry. Worst that would happen is that Angus ended up with two lunches from the ones who cared about him. A scuffle a few feet away caught his eye and Magnus stopped, seeing the kids picking on the small boy nearly a foot shorter than them.

“Hey, knock it off!” Magnus tried to use his “intimidating grown up” voice, hoping to scare them off before he needed to actually step in. The kids paid no attention to him and Magnus let out a deep sigh, walking towards them. One of the taller boys grabbed the victim’s bag, dumping the contents into a puddle nearby.

“Try reading them now!” He taunted, dropping the bag. Magnus clenched his jaw, finally making it to them.

“I said, knock it off! Leave this kid alone, shouldn’t you be getting to—“ Magnus stopped, finally seeing the boy they were picking on. Angus was on the ground, his knees skinned, bruises forming, and his glasses cracked. “Get out of here.” Magnus turned to the other boys, his voice suddenly low and reaching new levels of frightening. The others didn’t budge and he just sighed. “I swear to god, if you don’t leave Angus alone, you’re going to wish you’d listened to me the first time.” He glared, suddenly causing them to run. As the boys scrambled to get away, Magnus immediately softened as he knelt down beside Angus, who just sniffled and didn’t say anything.

“I’m really sorry, buddy. I wish I could’ve stopped them before they ruined your books.” Magnus scooped up his belongings, placing them carefully in the bag despite the fact that they were beyond repair. Angus didn’t budge and stared down at his broken glasses in his hand, his eyes welling up with tears.

“‘S’okay… This happens every day.” His voice was quiet and trembled as he fought back the tears. Magnus bit his lip, scooping up Angus as well, holding both the boy and the bag in his arms.

“You’re not going to school today, okay?” Magnus examined his expression, seeing the relief on Angus’ face. “I’m going to bandage up your skinned knees and hands and then we’re going to go replace the books they ruined.” He finally made it to his stall in the marketplace, sitting Angus down on the stool that sat behind the counter. Magnus was somewhat clumsy with a knife, so there were plenty of bandages under the counter for use when he nicked himself carving. He took out his waterskin, lightly dampening a cloth and making sure Angus’ knees were clean. After watching him in silence for a while, Angus finally spoke up.

“Why are you always so nice to me?” He toyed with his hands in his lap, looking down at Magnus. “You don’t have to be, but you always do nice things for me and make sure I have lunches when Grandpa forgets and you send nice notes along with me to school…” His voice went quiet. “No one else does as many things for me as you do.” Magnus thought for a second, then smiled at him.

“Because I care about you! You’re my little buddy, Angus. I wanna make sure you’re happy and doing great because it makes me happy to see that! That’s what caring about someone is.” He helped Angus up off the stool. “Huh… Your pants tore, I can fix the knees up though! Just a few quick stitches and we’re good to go.” Magnus wrapped the most hurt knee up in the red bandana he always kept with him, just for extra protection on top of the bandages. He looked up and saw Angus turning over his broken glasses and tousled his hair, standing up. “Do you wanna stop by home first? I can ask your grandpa if there’s a spare pair of glasses for you so you don’t have to wear these.” Angus’ head snapped up and he shook it repeatedly.

“No, we don’t have to! I’ll be fine for now!” He said a little too quickly. Magnus knew something was up but didn’t pry, knowing Angus would talk if he needed to.

“Alright, so a new copy of the brand new book Caleb Cleveland: Kid Cop, a few bookmarks, some school textbooks, and a…” Magnus trailed off, pulling a book out of the bag. “Necromantic tome?”

“It was interesting! Did you know that if you mess with the boundaries of life and death, you might get a sort of bounty on you?” Angus looked up at Magnus, who snorted in response.

“Yeah, like that’ll ever happen to me.” He tucked the books away. “Well, the other books should be easy to find. I don’t know about that necromantic tome, though. Hopefully there’s a kind of necromancy expert in Neverwinter we could go to in order to find another copy, or at least a similar one.” Magnus noticed Angus limping slightly, not wanting to put pressure on his knee. He sighed, picking him up and swinging him onto his back. “How long have those kids been picking on you?”

“A long time… Since the first day of school in kindergarten. Just because I’m really smart.” He rested his head on Magnus’ shoulder, leaning forward. “Grandpa used to say that I shouldn’t let them get to me,” he stopped, clenching his jaw. “I mean, he says that currently. Because he’s still around.” His voice shook and Magnus froze as the realization set in. He slowly set down Angus and knelt in front of him.

“Angus… There’s a reason your grandpa “forgot” to pack you a lunch the past few weeks, isn’t there? The same reason he hasn’t greeted you at the door whenever I drop you off, right?” Angus looked as if he were about to break down into tears. Magnus took his hand softly and sighed deeply. “How long has he been gone?” He murmured, not wanting to press Angus too much on the matter.

“... Two weeks.” Angus said softly. Magnus’ eyes widened at the same time his brows furrowed in thought.

“Have you been…”

“Alone the whole time?” Angus finished the thought before Magnus could get himself to say it. “Somewhat. Grandpa had help at his place, but… Well, I don’t like the idea of keeping people there against their will.” Magnus stood up, biting his lip.

“I don’t… I don’t have a spare room in my place.” He said simply, obviously not finished with the thought. “I could probably get one made up in a good few weeks, I can sleep on the couch until then.” He muttered half to himself.

“Magnus, what do you mean?” Angus looked him up and down before Magnus shrugged in response.

“Well, someone has to take you in! You’re only six!” He picked up Angus again, putting him on his back once more. Angus leaned against him, trying to get a glimpse of his expression.

“Are you trying to… Adopt me or something?” He asked in a small voice. Magnus turned, looking at Angus.

“Is that okay, Angus?” He suddenly looked concerned, not wanting to push Angus in an uncomfortable position. Angus stared down at the pavement, then nodded as a small smile lit up his face.

“Y’know, I think it is! I think it’s more than okay!” Angus wrapped his arms tighter around Magnus. Magnus chuckled, squeezing Angus’ hand as they continued to the bookstore. He wondered what Julia would have done, if she would be as eager to have someone like Angus in her life. Julia, he decided, Julia would love Angus just as much as he did and make him promise to take good care of him. And Magnus wasn’t about to let her down now.


End file.
